Chapter 19: Fail assignment

Not long after the start of the semester, Luke sat at his desk, fully engrossed in writing his algorithm assignment. This task required him to create a Python algorithm with the lowest possible time complexity. Luke confidently completed his program, and after several tests, it ran smoothly and bug-free. However, when he received his results, he was astonished to find that he had not even scored 50% - he had failed outright.

Baffled, Luke could not comprehend why his painstakingly crafted program had not only failed to score highly but had not even passed. He decided to contact the grading professor, Rafel, and inquire about the assessment criteria. Rafel's response left Luke utterly shocked.

"Time complexity is one of the key aspects of an algorithm. If your program's time complexity exceeds the required standard, even if it runs flawlessly and is bug-free, it will not receive any marks."

Luke felt this was unfair. In his opinion, a program's ability to run without errors was of utmost importance - the essence of an algorithm - while time complexity was merely a secondary aspect. He did not believe that it should be valued so highly.

However, Professor Rafel dismissed Luke's concerns, explaining that an algorithm with high time complexity would be unacceptably slow when handling large amounts of data, rendering it unfit for practical application. As the data size increased, so would the program's runtime, an outcome that could not be tolerated. Even as a university student, Luke needed to take this into consideration, otherwise, he would not receive any marks.

Hearing Professor Rafel's words, Luke's frustration and dissatisfaction grew. He believed his program was faultless and even considered it to be exceptional. Why, then, had Rafel given him such a poor grade?

Determined to argue his case, Luke defended himself. "But Professor Rafel, although my program's time complexity is slightly higher than desired, it runs perfectly and is error-free. Why must I lose so many marks for this?"

"Time complexity is crucial in an algorithm, as it directly affects its efficiency and performance," Rafel replied. "You cannot solely focus on the fact that your program runs while ignoring the issue of time complexity. This is an algorithm course; we expect efficient algorithms, not ones that simply run but have an excessively high time complexity."

Rafel's expression was stern, and he showed no signs of compromise.

Luke's anger intensified; he felt that all of his efforts had been disregarded, and his accomplishments overlooked. He saw himself as a clown, dismissed and forced to accept this unjust treatment.

In a moment of anger and despair, Luke devised a wild idea: to become a trustee for Melb University. He reasoned that if he could attain this position, perhaps he would have the opportunity to change Rafel's decision and persuade him to reconsider the assignment.

And so, Luke pondered how he might become a trustee. He resolved to start with himself, to contribute to Melb University in a way that would demonstrate his sincerity and capability. He decided to make a substantial donation to the school, marking his contribution.

Luke approached the university's finance department, expressing his desire to donate. They were grateful for his generosity and informed him that if he was interested in becoming a trustee, he should consider joining the board. Excited, Luke decided to pursue a position on the board, hoping to become a trustee.

However, during his interview with the board, he was faced with a difficult question: why did he want to join, and how could he contribute to the university?

Momentarily at a loss for words, Luke felt embarrassed and awkward. But then, he remembered why he wanted to become a trustee and how he could contribute to the school.

"I wish to become a trustee because I have a deep love and passion for Melb University," Luke explained. "I believe that only through my efforts can I help the university become even better. I can contribute in various ways, such as providing better educational resources for students and promoting the development of research projects. I am confident that with my contributions, Melb University will excel even further."

Luke's response captured the board's attention. They believed that he possessed a strong sense of mission and responsibility, as well as remarkable capabilities and potential. As a result, they agreed to let Luke join the board. However, they still needed to negotiate how much he would donate in Australian dollars. Fortunately for Luke, he currently lacked many things, but money was not one of them.